Safety-stirrup.



A. M. SIPES. SAFETY STIRRUP.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1910.

1,007,247. v Patented 001. 31, 1911.

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. A. M. 'SIPES.

SAFETY STIRRUP. APPLICATION FILED DE(1.22, 1910.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911;

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UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

ALFRED M. SIPES,- 0F MOBEETIE, TEXAS.

SAFETY-STIRRUP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED M. Sirns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mobeetie, in the county of Wheeler and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Stirrups; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and-use the same.

This invention relates to a safety stirrup.

The object is to provide a simply constructed and efficient stirrup ofthis character which will be quickly and reliably opened by pressureexerted against one of the side members.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts aswill be more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a stirrupconstructed in accordance with this invention with one side member openand the other closed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof.Fig. 3 is an end view thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of thestrap-engaging member detached. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectiontaken on the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view ofthe connecting member for the two pivoted sides of the stirrup. Fig. 7is a detail longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 77 of Fig. 3.

In the embodiment illustrated, a safety stirrup is shown comprising astrap-engaging member 1, having the ordinary loop 2 at its upper portionand notched at its opposite ends to receive the T-shaped heads 5 of thefoot-receiving member hereinafter to be described.

A housing 3 is secured to the front face of the member 1 and is designedto protect the safety catches against accidental disengagement such asmight be caused from coming into contact with brush or any otherobstacle. One wall of this housing. is provided at its opposite endswith shoulders, as 4:, for engagement with the catches to be described,whereby said catches are locked in operative position.

The stirrup proper comprises two side members 6 and 7 hingedly connectedat their Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 22, 1910.

Patented Oct. 31, 1911.

Serial No. 598,797.

lower ends and provided at their free upper ends with T-shaped heads 5above described. A substantially T-shaped foot-plate 8 is pivotallymounted on the pintle which connects the lower ends of the side members.This plate is preferably provided with right-angularly extendingapertured lugs 9 and 10 formed on its head and stem respectively, andthrough which the connecting pintle passes. The head of this plate 8 iscurved longitudinally to correspond with the curvature of the innerfaces of the side members 6 and 7, and when engaged by the foot of therider serves to hold said side members in closed position.

One edge of each of the side members 6 and 7 is recessed as shown at 7to receive catch plates 11 and 12 which are pivotally mounted thereinand provided at their upper ends with longitudinally extending tonguesas 13 adapted to engage the shoulders 1 on the member 1 for locking saidside members 6 and 7 in operative engagement with said member 1.

Bell crank catch levers 14: and 15 are pivotally mounted in the lowerwalls of the recesses 7 and are adapted to engage the lower ends of thecatch plates 11 and 12 for holding them securely against accidentalactuation. Curved plates 16 and 17 are pivotally connected at one endwith the inner arms of said bell crank levers 1 1 and 15' and closelyengage the inner faces of the members 6 and 7. These plates 16 and 17are provided on their lower faces, near their free ends, with arms 18and 19 which extend through guide slots as 20 formed in said sidemembers, and by means of which said plates are held against lateraldisplacement while permitted to move longitudinally to provide for thepivotal movement of the bell-crank catch levers to permit the engagementof the free arms thereof with the catch plates when desired. When theriders foot is in the stirrup, pressure is exerted on these plates 16and 17 which reliably holds the free ends of the bell-crank levers inengagement with the plates 11 and 12 and prevents all possibility ofsaid plates being opened until said pressure is removed. These stirrupsmay be made in any desired size, but should only be large enough topermit the insertion of the toe of the rider to prevent the slipping ofhis foot therethrough, which Would cause the release of the side membersand detach the stirrup.

In the operation of this improved stirrup, the T-shaped heads 5 areengaged with the notches in the opposite ends of the member 1, and arelocked therein by means of the tongues 13 which engage the shoulders 4,said tongues being held in locked engagement with said shoulders bymeans of the free ends of the bell-crank levers let and 15 which engagethe lower ends of the plates 11 and 12, and are held in this position,as above described, by the pressure of the foot of the rider on theplates 16 and 17. Should the rider fall from his horse, and his footcome in contact with one or both of the catch plates 11 or 12, theywould be forced outwardly and disengaged from the shoulders 4E and thelower ends of said plates on opening would bear against the free ends ofthe bell crank levers let and 15, where upon the side members would beimmediately separated from the strap-engaging member 1 and the ridersfoot released.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A safety stirrup comprising a strapengaging member having recesses inits opposite ends, one wall of each of said recesses being shouldered, afoot member comprising pivotally connected side members having T-shapedheads at their free ends for engagement with the recesses at the ends ofsaid strap-member, catch plates carried by said side members and havingtongues for engagement with said shoulders, means for holding said catchplates in locked position, and means connected with said plate lookingmeans arranged on the foot engaging portion of the stirrup in positionto be pressed by the foot of the rider whereby said plate locking meansis held in operative position.

2. In a safety stirrup, a strap-engaging member having shoulders, a footreceiving member comprising pivotally connected side members havingT-shaped elements at the free ends thereof, means at opposite ends ofsaid strap-engaging member for engagement with said T-shaped elements,catch plates pivotally mounted on said side members and having tonguesfor engagement with said shoulders, bell crank levers pivotally mountedin position to engage said catch plates, and plates connected with saidbell crank levers and extending in position to be engaged by the foot ofthe rider when in normal position.

3. A safety stirrup comprising pivotally connected side members, a footplate mounted on the pintle thereof, catch members piv-- otally mountedon said side members, a strap-engaging member having means fordetachable connection with the free ends of said side members, means onsaid strapmember for engagement by said catch members, and meansoperable by the foot of the rider for holding said catch members inoperative posit-ion.

A. A safety stirrup comprising pivotally connected side members, a footplate mounted on the pintle thereof, catch members pivotally mounted onsaid side members, a strap-engaging member having means for detachableconnection with the free ends of said side members, means on said strapengaging member for engagement by said catch members, and platesextending into position to be engaged by the foot of the rider when innormal position and having means for holding said catch members inoperative position.

5. A safety stirrup comprising a strap engaging member having recessesin its opposite ends, one wall of each of said recesses beingshouldered, a foot member comprising pivotally connected side membershaving T- shaped heads at their free ends for engagement with therecesses at the ends of said strap member, catch plates carried by saidside members and having tongues for engagement with said shoulders, andmeans for holding said catch plates in locked position, said means beingarranged in the path of the foot of the rider when said foot is innormal position, whereby the pressure of the foot bearing in the stirrupwill hold said catch plates locked.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALFRED M. SIPE S.

Witnesses:

MELVIN M. MILLER, J. N. Bowers.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

